Bringing in the Year
by TheYoungTimpani
Summary: Just a few chapters about how the team minus Gibbs, I'm sorry brings in the New Year at McGee's. TIVA! MCABBY! Aiii! It's like ship-fest!
1. Old Songs Old Flames New Year

**Old Songs, Old Flames, Old Feelings, New Year**

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**Disclaimer:** I'm just surprised that I even own the game. (_Rock Band_)

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**Author's Note:** This is just a story that I wrote for New Year that has my two favorite NCIS ships, Tiva and McAbby, in it. It's a late New Year's story.

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Tony was setting on the couch in McGee's living room, impatiently flipping through the channels.

"Tony! Just put it on something and leave it for at least a minute!" McGee shouted from the recliner.

"There's nothing on, _Probie_," Tony spat, still changing channels.

"There's gotta be something on. It's New Year's Eve, for Pete's sake!" Abby said, hanging upside down off the opposite end of the couch.

"Maybe there's a movie on," Tony grumbled.

"_No._ We have already watched _Elf _twice since you've been here. If I have to see it again, I'll vomit," McGee demanded.

"Not to mention the three other times you've made me watch it this week," Ziva, who was setting between Tony and upside-down Abby, complained.

"Whiners," Tony mumbled, "If we had held the 'party'," he formed airquotes, "at my place, we could've watched my new movie that I got for Christmas...but no, here we are at McGeek's with nothing to watch."

"What new movie?" Abby asked.

"_You Don't Mess With the Zohan_," Tony grinned.

"Oh, come on! That is consistently ranked as one of the year's worst movies. Who got you that?" McGee asked.

"_I _happen to have _liked _the movie," Ziva said in a way that let McGee know that his comment was not appreciated.

"I should have known that our Mossad ninja would like a movie about a Mossad hairdresser!" Abby laughed, still upside-down.

Tony had began snooping around McGee's TV, looking for movies or anything.

"Hey! You got this?!" Tony shouted.

"What?" McGee asked.

"_Rock Band 2_!" Tony shouted, pulling out the game drumset, guitar, bass, and microphone.

"Yeah," McGee said, looking wary.

"Let's play!" Tony shouted, putting the disk into the Xbox 360.

Abby squealed with delight and flipped herself off of the couch.

"What?" Ziva asked, looking confused.

"_Rock Band_!" Abby shouted, "You've never played?"

Ziva shook her head.

Abby explained the game and the concept and how to play each part while Tony set up the game.

Tony said he would sing first to "check out the mic connection". McGee said that that was unnecessary, Tony elbowed him in the ribs.

Tony took the mic, Abby sat behind the drums, McGee took the guitar and Ziva played the bass; which Abby insisted was better for beginners.

They chose their song and Tony began to sing.

_In the beginning  
Back in nineteen fifty-five  
Man didn't know about a rock 'n' roll show  
And all that jive  
The white man had the smoltz  
The black man had the blues  
No one knew what they was gonna do  
But Tchaikovsky had the news  
He said -  
"Let there be sound", there was sound  
"let there be light", there was light  
"Let there be drums", there was drums  
"Let there be guitar", there was guitar  
"Let there be rock"  
And it came to pass  
That rock 'n' roll was born_

Somehow, Tony ended up singing the next song, arguing that the first "didn't count". Everyone else switched. McGee took the bass, Abby took the guitar, and Ziva took the drums.

And Tony sang again.

_Risin' up back on the street  
Did my time, took my chances  
Went the distance now I'm back on my feet  
Just a man and his will to survive  
So many times, it happens too fast  
You change your passion for glory  
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past  
You must fight just to keep them alive _

It's the Eye of the Tiger  
It's the thrill of the fight  
Risin' up to the challenge of our rival  
And the last known survivor  
Stalks his prey in the night  
And he's watching us all  
with the Eye of the Tiger

Finally, Abby wrestled the mic away from Tony and he demanded to play drums, so Ziva took the guitar and McGee played the bass.

_Lord, I was born a ramblin' man,  
Tryin' to make a livin' and doin' the best I can.  
And when it's time for leavin',  
I hope you'll understand,  
That I was born a ramblin' man. _

Well my father was a gambler down in Georgia,  
He wound up on the wrong end of a gun.  
And I was born in the back seat of a Greyhound bus  
Rollin' down highway 41.

_Lord, I was born a ramblin' man,  
Tryin' to make a livin' and doin' the best I can.  
And when it's time for leavin',  
I hope you'll understand,  
That I was born a ramblin' man. _

I'm on my way to New Orleans this mornin',  
Leaving out of Nashville, Tennessee,  
They're always having a good time down on the bayou,  
Lord, them Delta women think the world of me.

"Of all the songs I would have thought you would pick...That song was not one of them," McGee said, surprised at Abby's song choice.  
"That's the kind of music you grow up listening to in the South, Timmy," Abby smiled before throwing him the mic, "Your turn!"

"What?! Me?! No, no, no...I don't sing," McGee protested.

"Oh, come on, Timmy!" Abby begged.

"Pro-bie! Pro-bie! Pro-bie!" Tony chanted rhythmicly.

"Alright! Alright!...I'll do it," he took the mic and picked out a song.

_Even on my favorite table  
He can beat my best.  
His disciples lead him in  
And he just does the rest.  
He's got crazy flipper fingers  
Never seen him fall.  
That deaf, dumb and blind kid  
Sure plays a mean pinball!_

Tony fell of the chair he was sitting on to play drums and rolled in the floor laughing.

"Tony!" Abby scolded, "You were good, McGee!" she smiled.

Tony ripped the mic from McGee's hand and said, "Let a pro show you how it's done."

_Dark in the city, night is a wire  
Steam in the subway, earth is a fire  
Do-do do do, do do do, do do do, do do do, do do  
Woman you want me, give me a sign  
And catch my breathing even closer behind  
Do-do do do, do do do, do do do, do do do, do do _

In touch with the ground  
I'm on the hunt I'm after you  
Smell like I sound, I'm lost in a crowd  
And I'm hungry like the wolf  
Straddle the line, in discord and rhyme  
I'm on the hunt I'm after you  
Mouth is alive with juices like wine  
And I'm hungry like the wolf

"Hey, Tony, where's that pro you were telling me about?" McGee teased.

Tony mocked him and said, "Shut it, Probie."

"Boys, boys," Abby teased, taking the mic from Tony.

_Greedy little people in a sea of distress  
Keep your more to receive your less  
Unimpressed by material excess  
Love is free love me say hell yes _

I'm a low brow but I rock a little know how  
No time for the piggies or the hoosegow  
Get smart get down with the pow wow  
Never been a better time than right now

Bob Marley poet and a prophet  
Bob Marley taught me how to off it  
Bob Marley walkin' like he talk it  
Goodness me can't you see I'm gonna cough it

Give it away give it away give it away now  
Give it away give it away give it away now  
Give it away give it away give it away now  
Ooh... Ooh yeah  
Give it away give it away give it away now  
Give it away give it away give it away now  
Give it away give it away give it away now  
I can't tell iff I'm a king pin or a pauper

"That's more like the Abby we're used to," Tony smiled, "Now, back to the matter of the singing Probie. I'd like to see you do one of those impossible songs, McPavoratti."

McGee took the microphone and glared at Tony.

_Masquerading as a man with a reason  
My charade is the event of the season  
And if I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know  
On a stormy sea of moving emotion  
Tossed about I'm like a ship on the ocean  
I set a course for winds of fortune, but I hear the voices say: _

Carry on my wayward son,  
There'll be peace when you are done  
Lay your weary head to rest  
Don't you cry no more NO!

McGee finished and threw his hands in the air.

Tony was laughing harder than ever, Abby was laughing, even Ziva was doubled over laughing.

"Was it that bad?" McGee asked.

"Oh...Dear...Lord...," Abby choked out, "That was _the _funniest thing I have ever witnessed."

"Hey, Ziva hasn't sang yet," Tony said, climbing back into his seat.

"Yeah," Abby smiled.

"No," Ziva said.

"Come on, Ziva. They made me sing," McGee reasoned.

"Yes, but I am more dangerous than you are, McGee," Ziva replied, McGee looked slightly offended.

"I bet you sing beautifully," Tony flirted in an attempt to lure her into singing.

"You'll never know," Ziva shot back.

"Aw, you're scared!" Tony insisted.

"No, I'm not!"

"Yeah, you are!"

"Gimme that damn microphone!" Ziva shouted, jerking the mic out of McGee's hands.

Tony smiled a triumphant smile that was missed by Ziva as she picked out her song.

_Bright lights the music gets faster  
Look boy, don't check on your watch  
Not another glance  
I'm not leaving now, honey not a chance  
Hot-shot, give me no problems  
Much later baby you'll be saying never mind  
You know life is cruel, life is never kind _

Kind hearts don't make a new story  
Kind hearts don't grab any glory

We're the kids in America We're the kids in America  
Everybody live for the music-go-round

Come closer, honey that's better  
Got to get a brand new experience  
Feeling right  
Oh don't try to stop baby  
Hold me tight  
Outside a new day is dawning  
Outside Suburbia's sprawling everywhere  
I don't want to go baby  
New York to East California  
There's a new wave coming I warn you

"That's kind of ironic, doncha think? That the only foreigner here sings _Kids in America_?" Abby mused.

"She put you to shame, DiNozzo," McGee grinned.

"I am not ashamed to have lost to that miraculous voice," Tony replied, awestruck.

"Shut it, DiNozzo," Ziva growled.

"No, really. You sound great," he smiled.

She smiled back just a little and handed him the mic.

"Oh, so I've gotta follow that?" Tony groaned, "McGee's not man enough to handle the pressure."

_She loves to laugh  
She loves to sing  
She does everything  
She loves to move  
She loves to groove  
She loves the lovin' things _

Long night, all night  
Oh, every night  
So hold tight, hold tight  
Ooh, baby, hold tight

Oh, she said,  
Any way you want it  
That's the way you need it  
Any way you want it  
She said, Any way you want it  
That's the way you need it  
Any way you want it

Tony looked over at Ziva throughout the song; but no one, Ziva included, noticed the glances as they were too focused on the game.

When he finished, he handed the mic to Abby.

_See the people walking down the street  
Fall in line just watchin all their feet  
They don't know where they're gonna go  
But their walking in time _

They got the beat  
they got the beat  
they got the beat  
yeah  
They got the beat

When she finished, she handed the mic to McGee; letting her hand linger on his for a split-second more than was necessary. McGee didn't seem to have noticed.

_When I die and they lay me to rest  
Gonna go to the place that's the best  
When I lay me down to die  
Goin' up to the spirit in the sky _

I'm goin' up to the spirit in the sky  
That's where I'm gonna go when I die  
When I die and they lay me to rest  
I'm gonna go to the place that's the best

McGee finished and tossed the mic to Ziva, who grumbled before deciding to go ahead and sing again. If for no other reason than to save her from the incessant whining of her coworkers.

_Tell me why ... Everything turned around  
Packing up ... Shackin' up's all you wanna do _

If I could ... Baby I'd give you my world  
Open up ... Everything's waiting for you

You can go your own way Go your own way  
You can call it ... Another lonely day

Ziva stole glances over at Tony who was making faces as he played the guitar part. Of all the times that they could have made eye contact, Ziva questioned why this couldn't be one of them. It needed to be.

Anyone could feel the tension that had been building between the two of them lately. It was blindingly obvious. Ziva knew that she had feelings for Tony that you don't have for just a coworker, just a partner, just a friend. She had began to assume that it must be love, but that possibility made her laugh out loud. She couldn't be in love. Not with Tony of all people!

She finished and handed him the mic, trying to avoid the shudder that overtook her when their hands made contact. He seemed to have not noticed.

_We've got to hold on to what we've got  
'Cause it doesn't make a difference  
If we make it or not  
We've got each other and that's a lot  
For love - we'll give it a shot _

Ohh We're half way there  
Woah Livin' on a prayer  
Take my hand and we'll make it - I swear  
Livin' on a prayer  
Livin' on a prayer

Tony had stopped trying to give Ziva a look about halfway through the song, realizing that her eyes were not leaving the television. Instead he just tried to sort it out mentally.

As someone who's relationship record was less than less than stellar, he knew that he couldn't trust his emotions. Emotions are what led to one-night stands...or were those cravings? What was this feeling exactly. He knew that there was more than the usual craving to touch her skin, kiss her, sleep with her, see her entire beautiful body...but how much more was there to this? Did he want her with him when he woke up? Of course he did. Did he want her when he wasn't working? More than ever. Did he want her when he was hurting? When he was lonely? When he didn't want anyone?...He thought he did, but he didn't know what to think. Was he just acting on a craving for companionship, or was he *gulp* in love with his partner?

When he finished the song, he laughed and tossed the mic to Abby. McGee shouted that he was going to break his brand new video game, but Tony was still in a haze and didn't listen.

_Feel the rhythm with your hands  
Steal the rhythm while you can, Spoonman  
Speak the rhythm on your own  
Speak the rhythm all alone, Spoonman _

Spoonman, come together with your hands  
Save me, I'm together with your plan  
Save me

Abby jumped around as she sang, purposely knocking into McGee more than anything else. He had his eyes scrunched in concentration, he was such a perfectionist, but whenever Abby bumped him his face would relax and he would give his innocent, boyish smile.

Abby loved his smile; she thought it was the cutest thing she had ever witnessed. It made him look so much more like a little kid than the hardened agent he had become. She missed her old, scared, innocent McGee. She knew that he had what he wanted. He loved being a NCIS field agent, it had been his dream.

When she finished singing, she handed him the microphone and this time let her hand stay there so that he had to pry it from her hand. He gave her an odd look before continuing on.

_American woman, said get away  
American woman, listen what I say  
Don't come hangin' around my door  
Don't wanna see your face no more  
I don't need your war machines  
I don't need your ghetto scenes  
Coloured lights can hypnotize  
Sparkle someone else's eyes  
Now woman, get away from me  
American woman, mama let me be._

McGee almost couldn't finish the song. It was so opposite what he really wanted. He wanted his American woman to hang around his door. He wanted Abby back. McGee regretted ever giving her up, he wanted her back so badly that he almost couldn't stand it. She was the only one who understood his geeky rants and empathized with him. Tony always made fun of him and Ziva had been too wrapped up in obsessing over Tony to pay attention to anything lately. They'd get together soon...he just hoped that he and Abby could, too.

He handed the mic to Ziva and she picked out a song that she recognized.

_I wonder, how am I supposed to feel when you're not here.  
'Cause I burned every bridge I ever built when you were here.  
I still try holding onto silly things, I never learn.  
Oh why, all the possibilities I'm sure you've heard. _

That's what you get when you let your heart win, whoa.  
That's what you get when you let your heart win, whoa.  
I drowned out all my sense with the sound of its beating.  
And that's what you get when you let your heart win, whoa.

Ziva couldn't believe that she thought she was in love with Tony. He was not the type of person to fall in love with...then again, neither was she. They were both known for spur of the moment 'romantic' decisions that usually involved one-night stands that would leave them feeling worse than they felt before. They were both known for getting drunk and losing all judgment in an attempt to numb their pain du jour. They were the type of people who were never meant to fall in love...and certainly not with each other.

Yet here she was, she knew it had to be love. She had never felt this way before. She only hoped that he would return those emotions.

When she finished, she handed the mic to Tony and they shared a brief but heated look. Was he thinking the same thing she was?

"This one's for my ninja," he smiled a big, goofy smile before he started singing. Ziva just rolled her eyes.

_I went from Phoenix, Arizona  
All the way to Tacoma  
Philadelphia, Atlanta, L.A.  
Northern California where the girls are warm  
So I could be with my sweet baby, yeah _

Keep on a rock'n me baby  
Keep on a rock'n me baby  
Keep on a rock'n me baby  
Keep on a rock'n me baby  
Baby, baby, baby  
Keep on rock'n  
Rock'n me baby  
Keep on a rock'n  
Rock'n me baby

He knew that they had both laughed. He had meant this as a joke...but still, that look. Could they be real? Could they have a chance? Was he in love? God...what a combination! Tony and Ziva, together! Ha! That's crazy!...But it hit him, hard, he _did _love her. That was the only explanation. He was in love with the crazy assassin ninja killing machine...Damn it! Couldn't for once he fall in love with someone normal? Did it always have to be daughters of arms dealers and Mossad assassins? Couldn't it just once be, he didn't know, a sales clerk or a teacher? Why always the dangerous ones?...He couldn't believe that he loved Ziva, yet here it was. He knew it. He loved her.

He handed the mic to Abby, presenting it with utmost care as McGee rolled his eyes at Tony's excessively cautious display. Ziva laughed in a way that could only be described as a giggle. A very un-assassinlike noise. Tony loved it and gave her a big, playful smile in return.

_One way or another, I'm gonna find ya.  
I'm gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha.  
One way or another, I'm gonna win ya.  
I'm gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha.  
One way or another, I'm gonna see ya.  
I'm gonna meetcha, meetcha, meetcha, meetcha.  
One day, maybe next week, I'm gonna meetcha.  
I'm gonna meetcha, I'll meetcha.  
I will drive past your house, and if the lights are all down I'll see who's  
around._

Abby decided right then. One way or another, she was going to get her Timmy back.

She handed him the microphone and gave him a deep look that she hadn't gave him since they broke up. She hoped he got the message.

_Hey,_  
_You know they're all the same.  
You know you're doing better on your own,  
So don't buy in.  
Live right now.  
Yeah, just be yourself.  
It doesn't matter if it's good enough  
For someone else. _

It just takes some time,  
Little girl, you're in the middle of the ride.  
Everything, everything will be just fine,  
Everything, everything will be alright

He sang the song directly to Abby. He still had feelings for her. He still loved her. He hoped she still loved him.

When he finished, he sat the mic down and walked over to Abby and pulled her into a deep embrace and whispered, "I still love you," into her ear. She pulled him down into a deep kiss. Soon the two were blindly feeling for the way to McGee's bedroom. When they got there, the door slammed shut.

"Gross," Tony moaned, watching the door shut, "Geek love!"

"So, what do we do now?" Ziva asked, the room suddenly ten times more awkward.

"We keep playing. It's not even midnight yet," Tony grinned and Ziva had to fight herself to keep from jumping him and following Abby and McGee's lead.

He handed her the mic and she picked out a song.

_Can we forget about the things I said when I was drunk?  
I didn't mean to call you that.  
I can't remember what was said or what you threw at me _

Please tell me,Please tell me why?  
My car is in the front yard  
And I'm sleeping with my clothes on  
I came in through the window last night  
And you're gone gone

She smiled and handed him the mic, "I think we only have time for one more song before midnight."

He picked out a song and started singing.

_Hey little sister what have you done  
Hey little sister who's the only one  
Hey little sister who's your superman  
Hey little sister who's the one you want  
Hey little sister shot gun!  
It's a nice day to start again _

Tony put the mic down. He looked at the clock '12:00'. He walked over to Ziva, "Happy New Year."

"You, too," she said, suddenly breathless due to their proximity.

He leaned down and kissed her. It was a slow and tender and loving kiss. Both savoring the feel of each other's lips, the way each other tasted. When they finally broke apart they looked each other in the eyes for a moment before he stepped back.

"I wish I could start over with you, Ziva."

"What do you mean?" she was confused.

"I mean that I wish I could start over. Make sure I was always there for you, avoid that whole 'Jeanne ordeal', never hurt you. I just wish that I had never hurt you," he held her hands tightly as he looked into her eyes.

"Tony, the hurt is what makes us stronger. If our friendship can survive the sort of strain we have put on it and come back stronger than ever-"

"I want more than friendship."

"You...you...what?  
"I want more than friendship."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I do. Do you?"

She took several short deep breaths before leaning up to kiss him again, "I love you, Tony," she spoke against his lips as they parted.

"I love you, too, Ziva."

They finally parted and he looked at the clock then stretched, "McGee invited us to stay the night and I don't feel like driving...There's only one bed left because God knows I don't want to go in there and risk seeing anymore of Probie than is exposed by his nerd-suit on a daily basis. So why don't we hit the hay. For real, no funny business. Just sleeping."

"And cuddling?"

"Did _Ziva David;_ Mossad assassin, crazy ninja chick, professional asskicker; just ask if we could cuddle?" he laughed.

She gave him a look.

"Of course we can cuddle," he said, leaning down to kiss her again before leading her to McGee's guest bedroom.

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**A.N.:** I came up for the idea for this story when I was in Hot Springs for my grandparents' 50th anniversary, but I couldn't post it. I'll never understand it. Some of the fanciest hotels I've stayed at (Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs) don't have Wi-Fi, but the freakin' Budget Inn and Super 8 Motel have Wi-Fi! So I couldn't post this until I got back from Hot Springs.

The songs were:

_Let There Be Rock_: AC/DC

_Eye of the Tiger_: Survivor

_Ramblin' Man_: The Allman Brothers Band

_Pinball Wizard_: The Who

_Hungry Like the Wolf_: Duran Duran

_Give it Away_: Red Hot Chili Peppers

_Carry On Wayward Son_: Kansas

_Kids in America_: The Muffs

_Any Way You Want It_: Journey

_We Got the Beat_: The Go-Gos

_Spirit in the Sky_: Norman Greenbaum

_Go Your Own Way_: Fleetwood Mac

_Livin' On a Prayer_: Bon Jovi

_Spoonman_: Soundgarden

_American Woman_: The Guess Who

_That's What You Get_: Paramore

_Rock'n Me_: Steve Miller Band

_One Way or Another_: Blondie

_The Middle_: Jimmy Eat World

_My Own Worst Enemy_: Lit

_White Wedding (Part 1)_: Billy Idol

There is a follow-up chapter for this one, but it shouldn't delay my other story...just in case you were wondering...

Please review!


	2. Traditional Southern Meal

**Traditional Southern Meal**

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**Disclaimer: **Don't own it. Wish I did, but I don't.

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**Author's Note: **Here's the last chapter of this short-story.

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Tony awoke early; not as early as McGee and Abby, however; he heard them in the kitchen doing what he hoped was cooking.

He was laying in McGee's guest bed holding Ziva tightly to him.

Thankfully, her snores weren't as disturbingly loud as they had been during their undercover assignment. Which made him a little suspicious that she had been overdoing the snores just to get on his nerves.

He couldn't believe that he had woke before she did, but he used his time to observe the sleeping assassin.

Through some miraculous restraint, they had managed to not follow Abby and McGee's example the night before. Instead, they had just sat and talked and, at Ziva's request, cuddled until they finally fell asleep.

Tony could feel Ziva beginning to wake up and he watched, waiting for her eyes to open.

When they did, he greeted her, "Morning, Sweetcheeks."

"Boker tov, My Little Furry Bear," she smiled groggily, before he kissed her.

Tony had noticed the smell wafting into the room from the kitchen down the hall.

He took several very theatrical sniffs before saying, "I think Probie and Abby are making breakfast, wanna go?"

She nodded and together they sleepily wandered into McGee's kitchen.

"Good morning, guys!" Abby smiled.

Tony and Ziva nodded greetings.

"Did you two have a good night?" McGee asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, we did; and we didn't even have to resort to what you two did," Tony shot teasingly.

"Wow, Tony DiNozzo slept with a woman without having sex. I'm impressed," McGee replied.

Ziva and Tony shared a smile.

Tony walked over to where Abby was cooking. He looked at the pile of golden-brown rectangles of fried dough and the three more still in the frying pan.

"What's this?" he asked, reaching for one.

"Don't touch!" Abby held up the spatula as if to hit Tony with it, "They're beignets. French doughnuts. New Orleans food."

Tony then walked over to where McGee was cooking, "How 'bout you, McEmeril?"

"Scrambled eggs."

"Very creative, Julia McChild," Tony teased.

"Haven't you gotten tired of calling me insults based on my last name?" McGee groaned.

"Never, Mc...what's another famous chef?"

"Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck, Mario Batali, Masaharu Morimoto, Cat Cora, Paul Prudhomme, Justin Wilson...I gar-on-tee!...Oh! I like Paula Deen, she's a chef! Ooh! Ooh! Alton Brown! He's like Bill Nye meets a super chef! He's awesome!" Abby ranted.

"McRachael Ray!" Tony shouted proudly.

Ziva shuddered, "I cannot stand her."

"Join the club," Abby laughed.

Soon, Abby finished frying and covered the beignets with powdered sugar and they all sat down to eat.

"So, what do you think Gibbs is gonna do?" McGee asked.

"About what?" Tony asked, mouth full of scrambled egg.

"About how he's the only one on the team not breaking Rule 12," McGee replied.

"In fact, two members of the team are breaking Rule 12 within the team," Abby said, sending a pointed glare at the other couple.

"I do not believe we ever said we were together," Ziva argued.

"You didn't deny it," Abby said.

"You _can't _deny it," McGee added.

Tony shrugged and leaned over to kiss Ziva.

"Tony!" she shouted, pushing him away.

"Oh, come on, Ziva! They know!" Tony laughed and pulled her into another kiss and she didn't resist.

Abby and McGee teased them with 'oooh' and 'awww' and, after continuing too long, 'blech', 'ewww', and 'get a room!'. They finally broke apart, but Tony kept his arm around Ziva.

"We should all get together later and have a big, traditional, Southern New Year's meal!" Abby shouted.

"What is in a Southern New Year's meal?" Ziva asked.

"Fried cornbread, collard greens, black-eyed peas, hog jowl; you don't have to eat the hog jowl, Ziva-" Abby explained.

"What's hog jowl?" Tony asked.

"Uhhh...It tastes like bacon," Abby stuttered.

"I didn't ask what it tasted like, Abby, I asked what it was."

"....I think it's pig cheek...," Abby said quietly. McGee made a gagging noise and sputtered some egg onto the table.

"That's _not_ kosher," Tony grinned to Ziva.

"I do not keep kosher," she replied.

"I remember," he smiled, thinking back to when they first met. They gave each other a long, meaningful look.

"Ahem," McGee called. Tony and Ziva ignored him.

"Hey, lovebirds, cut it out!" Abby shouted, Tony and Ziva snapped from their moment and Abby asked, "So, are you guys gonna come have lunch with us?"

"Yeah, sure," Tony agreed and Ziva nodded.

* * *

Tony and Ziva arrived back at McGee's at around one in the afternoon.

Abby opened the door, hugged them, and ran back to the kitchen with McGee.

Ducky was seated on the couch discussing something with Palmer.

Tony sat on a recliner and Ziva perched on the arm. He pulled her down so the was leaning across his lap, she giggled and Ducky looked over, giving them a knowing smile.

Someone else knocked at the door, Abby answered with Jethro jumping up from his bed next to Tony and Ziva's recliner.

When Tony saw who had arrived, he hissed, "Abby!" She ran over and bent down to hear his whispers while the new visitor greeted the dog.

"What is Gibbs doing here?"

"It's a family dinner, silly," she smiled, skipping back into the kitchen.

Neither Tony nor Ziva made an attempt to move; Gibbs was going to figure out sooner or later, they reasoned, it was best to get it out of the way now.

Gibbs and Jethro walked into the living room and sat next to Ducky, the dog at his feet.

He soon looked over at Tony and Ziva; from the look in his eyes, they could tell that if they would have been in range, they would have been headslapped into oblivion.

They sat down at the table for lunch, Tony's hand on Ziva's thigh and McGee's arm around Abby.

Gibbs stared daggers between the two couples.

"I propose a toast," Ducky said, standing and raising his glass, "To new beginnings!" The others held up their glasses, too.

"I've got a toast for ya'," Gibbs began, "To keeping it out of the workplace." He glared at Abby and McGee first then glared, harder, at Tony and Ziva.

The four nodded and mumbled agreement.

They all knew that Gibbs didn't fully approve if their relationships, bur they had to take what they could get with Gibbs.

Everything was going to work out just fine.

_End_

* * *

**A.N.: **I _love _beignets! Love them! Love them! Love them! They are my favorite breakfast!

The food is really the traditional Southern New Year's meal, or at least its what my family makes and we live in Arkansas. It's one of my favorite meals of the year. I like to put mustard on the fried cornbread. Yum! As I mentioned earlier, I was in Hot Springs on New Year's and they didn't have most of this stuff! I was so disappointed! We ate a brunch at the Arlington Hotel and they had black-eyed peas but none of the other stuff.

We ate the black-eyed peas, spinach frittatas for the greens, and bacon for the hog jowls, and David put black-eyed peas on a waffle instead of cornbread...he got some weird looks. But I'm okay now because Dad made a late New Year's dinner for me.

This chapter/story is for Walker. His family's going through some rough stuff right now. I hope that everything works out for the best.

Thanks for reading. Please review!


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